Holywood greengrocer’s produce takes star billing in Dungeons and Dragons movie

A greengrocer in the Co Down village of Holywood is looking forward to seeing his produce take star billing in the new Dungeons and Dragons movie.

Matt Montgomery, who runs The Secret Market on the village’s High Street, found himself supplying fruit and veg to the movie set at Titanic Studios as filming on the blockbuster movie – starring Christ Pine, Hugh Grant and Michelle Rodriguez – got underway last year.

Matt, who has just celebrated the first birthday of his popular greengrocer’s shop, has had a few brushes with stardom in the course of his work, numbering a few celebrity chefs and movie industry figures among his customers.

“I’ve had Game of Thrones actors in here, and two really big American directors producing the Dungeons and Dragons movie – John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Those guys did the Spiderman movie – they’re huge, huge names!” he says.

“Through that I’ve been able to get a lot of work supplying… obviously Belfast is just on fire with movie production and filming at the Titanic Studios and I’m been able to get into a couple of production houses who then use me for any sort of fruit and veg scene.

“So I’m really keenly awaiting Dungeons and Dragons being released because we got to supply a lot of big carrots with the bunches of leaves on them, cabbages, just for all these banquet scenes. It’s really cool, you never know what’s going to happen!”

Matt says he often picks up ideas from his customers who share their recipes – and some of those customers definitely know their stuff.

“It’s such a mix of people who walk through this door, which is what I actually love about my job – you really don’t know who’s going to walk in in Holywood. I have good customers and they have good connections and they send them this way,” he says.

“We’ve had Yotam Ottolenghi in here – he has a house in Donaghadee and they actually spend the summer in Northern Ireland, so last year I had the pleasure of dealing with him quite a few times when he was down in the shop.

“Ian Beattie is a regular in here, he played Cersei’s bodyguard in Game of Thrones. I’m a big fan of the show myself. He’s an absolute character and a lovely guy.

“The lovely thing about this shop is that we have a great community feel about us, with such regular customers that you gain a relationship with them and then you’re asking them ‘oh what are you going to do with that’ and then you’re able to find out something yourself,” he says.

“I do probably learn more from my customers than from anybody else – I’m very fortunate that we have Michelin star chefs coming in here!”

To read the full feature, read the May edition of Neighbourhood Retailer, due out soon.